August Booth (TBAC)
August is owned by ABC's Once Upon a Time; this version of August is used by me - MugglebornPhoenix - in my Fanfiction story: To Break a Curse. August W. Booth, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the ninth episode of the first season. He is portrayed by guest star Eion Bailey, and is the Land Without Magic alias of Pinocchio. History For events occurring before the casting of the Dark Curse, see Pinocchio. |-|Before the Curse= As a young boy, August arrives in the land without magic via the magic wardrobe constructed by his father, Geppetto, by coming through in a tree in a forest. Shortly afterwards, the infant Emma arrives as well, and the boy takes the baby to a nearby diner. He gives a false story, claiming he found Emma on the side of the road. The two are put into an orphanage. |-|During the Curse= While in the orphanage, the young August does his best to take care of Emma to keep his promise to his father. One day, as he repairs Emma's crib, the tools he is using are taken away by the man running the orphanage, and August is harshly scolded. Later, another boy approaches August, telling him that he and some other children were able to steal enough money to leave the orphanage. He asks if August wants to go with them. The boy recalls the promise he made to his father about taking care of Emma. However, when the older boy tells him they cannot take care of a baby, August breaks his promise and leaves with the group of children, abandoning Emma. Several years later, August, now an adult meets Tabitha Nixon while she is studying Criminal Law at New York University. He is instantly attracted to her and they start dating soon after. Their relationship is passionate and fierce, but August is also protective and caring for Tabitha. After two years of being together, Tabitha announces she is pregnant. August plans to give up his freedom and settle down with Tabitha in New York to raise their baby together, but following a car crash that rips their baby, and Tabitha's family from her, August instead proposes that they both leave New York and start a new life in Phuket Thailand. describing it as a "beautiful, amazing island full of pleasures" and the "perfect place to lose oneself." He expects Tabitha to say no, and is very surprised when she accepts, despite his surprise he is also very glad that she accepted as he admits that he can't "imagine his life without her". A week before August and Tabitha's new life, Tabitha finds a letter from the father that gave her up eighteen years previously, and is awakened to a life that she thought only existed in fairytales. When she confides in August about what she has seen, he is surprised to learn of her true identity and reveals to her his true name: Pinocchio, at first Tabitha accuses him of messing with her, but after he tells her about the Enchanted Forest - using a fairytale book he has created - she starts to believe him. August doesn't know anything about 'The Defender' stating that it is only mentioned once in the book by an Ella Bradford; Tabitha decides that she must find this woman and get as many answers from her as possible. August points out that there is only one place where Tabitha is going to get her answers and it is not Thailand. Deciding to put their new life on hold, August helps Tabitha devise a plan to help others like them. He tells her all about Storybrooke and how it was created due to a Dark Curse cast by the Evil Queen from Snow White; and how it is the Savior's job to save everyone, and that the Defender will be there to protect the saviour in her greatest time of need. August tells Tabitha that the Savior's name is Emma, and that he was once supposed to have protected her but failed. He wants to make amends, but he has run for far too long and doesn't know how to make up for his past mistakes. August then tells Tabitha that in order for them to be together, and to be happy, she must focus on completing her destiny before anything else. They share a heartfelt goodbye, and August later watches her leave for Storybrooke. Many months after Tabitha's departure, August catches Neal Cassidy in Portland after he and Emma successfully pull off a heist of stolen watches. He tells Neal that if he truly cares for Emma, he will leave her to her destiny and not allow her to be caught up in his life. At first, Neal refuses, saying he loves Emma. August states that Neal does not believe him, but he will show him something that will change his mind. August goes to the back of his motorcycle where there is a wooden box. He opens it, and reveals the contents for Neal to see. Inside the case is August's typewriter and a piece of paper, on which he had typed, "I know you're Baelfire". The revelation that someone else knows his secret shakes him to the core, and Neal follows August's request. He runs off and frames Emma for the theft. A few months later, August meets up with Neal in Vancouver. Neal is torn over leaving Emma, and wants to know she is all right. August states that she is sentenced to eleven months in jail and is in a minimum security prison in Phoenix. Neal wants to go to her, but August refuses to reveal her location and reminds him of their deal. Though he can't visit her, Neal still wants to give Emma the yellow bug and the money he got from the stolen watches. August reluctantly agrees, and when Neal asks for him to let him know if something changes in Emma's life where he can be a part of it, August states he will send him a postcard. August mails Emma the keys to the car while she is still in jail, but the money is not in the envelope, leaving the impression that August took it. Ten years later, in the month of October 2011, August is residing in Phuket, Thailand. At 8:15 AM, August awakens to a shooting pain in his leg, at which point he realizes that he is beginning to turn back into wood. This moment in time corresponds to 8:15 PM in Storybrooke time when Emma decides to remain in town. The start of August's transformation into wood scares him, and at first, he tries to see a doctor to figure out a solution. In a Hong Kong based doctor's office, he pulls up his left pant leg and proceeds to stab himself in the leg; trying to prove to the doctor he is turning back into wood. Alas, the doctor cannot see the wooden leg and is so terribly frightened he calls for security to bring August to the psych ward. Despondent, he runs out of the office and through the hospital where he meets a man who tells him, that for the right price, a healer called "The Dragon" can help him. August accepts the offer, and goes to meet the Dragon. He enters into a small clinic and sits in a lobby for his turn with the healer. The next patient is called, and as a woman gets up to go in, she drops her cellphone. Despite the extreme pain in his leg, August bends over to pick it up, and returns it to her. She takes off her sunglasses and thanks him as she takes the phone back. A few minutes later, the woman comes out and says to him the Dragon will see him now. August does not give his name, and only pulls up his right pant leg to check if the man can see he is wooden. The Dragon does not, as he knows the issue is with his left leg. The Dragon takes one look at his leg, and states he is turning into wood, and calls him by his real name—Pinocchio. August is in awe the man knows his real name, and wonders if the Dragon is from his land as well. Instead, the Dragon redirects the conversation about August's affliction and how to cure it. First, he must take as payment an item of great and precious value to August; something that is close to his heart. The Dragon points to August's neck, where he wears a necklace with a small whale shaped ornament on it. The ornament is of no value to the Dragon, but he is aware the string of the necklace is the same string August's father used to animate him as a puppet. August forfeits the necklace as payment. The second part of the payment is ten-thousand US dollars, which August cannot afford, but the Dragon simply says to show up tonight with the money, and he will never have to be wooden again. August leaves the clinic, and stands in the doorway of a street bar trying to figure out how he is going to get the money when a familiar figure inside waves him over. It is the woman who also visited the Dragon before him. She comments he looks like he could use a drink, while August says he wasn't planning on staying for very long. Undeterred, Tamara happily asks him to join her as it is no fun celebrating alone. She orders him a beer, and takes out money from a very fat envelope of cash. They drink to second chances. August asks for what reason she came to the Dragon. Tamara explains it is a rare form of cancer, and she has been scouring the world for anyone who can heal her disease. Suddenly, August's leg pain is acting up again. She asks what his condition is, and he says it's a skin condition and plays along when she thinks it's acne. They get to discussing how the Dragon asked each of them for a personal item in exchange for his services. Tamara says she gave up a cherished photo of herself and her grandmother, and though she is unhappy it is gone, perhaps sacrificing it has also made her cancer disappear as well. Tamara's phone rings, and she excuses herself from the bar counter to take the call. While she is away, August stares longingly at the cash envelope inside her bag, and, making sure she is not looking, he takes the money and bolts out of the bar. He runs back to the clinic to get his end of the bargain now that he has the money. The Dragon shows him a bottle with glowing reddish-pink liquid inside, and tucks it back into a cloth pouch. August spots the photo of Tamara and her grandmother on the Dragon's table and has another burst of pain shooting from his leg. The Dragon notices, covering the photo with a hand while remarking how strange it is the body can send a person signals but it is up to the person to figure out what it means. In fact, August's leg pain in this moment is triggered by his guilt in stealing Tamara's money, August asks if the bottle will help him. The Dragon says it will, but the physical pain is just a symptom, and only he can truly cure himself. August leaves with the bottle in hand, and is opening it when he is apprehended by an angry Tamara. She indignantly states the bottle is hers, considering he used her money to pay for it. He apologizes, although he runs away to avoid her. Tamara yells through the marketplace for someone to stop him, but in the end August's leg prevents him from getting away, and he collapses in the middle of the street in agonizing gut-retching pain. In the process, he drops the bottle in the cloth bag, and Tamara approaches to snatch it away. She bitterly remarks whatever condition he has, he deserves it. August is left to contemplate her words, and cries in desperation. A few days later, August returns to the clinic to ask the Dragon to cure him again, but he is puzzled to find the man dead on the floor. He does not think too much of it, and finally decides it is his duty to return to Emma's life so he can convince her to believe in the curse so she can break it. He goes back to New York City to talk to Neal. August tells him of his condition, which means Emma is in Storybrooke, so he must go there to convince her to break the curse to stop what is happening to himself. Neal expresses his worries that if the curse breaks, his father will remember and come looking for him. August points out if that happens, Neal can see Emma again. Neal doesn't think Emma would want to see him again, but August thinks otherwise. August starts up his motorcycle, and before he speeds off, he reaffirms the promise to send him a postcard when the curse is broken. Unbeknownst to either, Tamara is listening and watching the conversation in a compact mirror a few feet away. A few hours later, August arrives in Storybrooke where he meets Sheriff Emma Swan and Henry Mills for the first time. He asks them where he can find a place to stay, and Emma directs him to Granny's inn. Before he drives off he asks if either of them know a Tabitha Masters, to which they both reply "No," but they do know a Tabitha Nixon. August explains that he is an old friend, and asks where he can find her. Emma directs to her apartment above the pharmacy and explains that Tabitha should be home, before August can leave she asks him what he said his name was, to which he replies that he never gave it. With Tabitha's address memorized, August shows up outside her apartment and watches her from the street. It has been ten-years since he last saw her and while he wishes to see her again, he doesn't think he'd be very welcomed as he hadn't contacted her in any way, shape or form for the last decade. The next morning, he is repairing his motorbike in front of the mayor's house, and Henry comes out to talk to him. August deflects most of the boy's questions and drives off, but not before Regina Mills spots him first. She asks Henry who that is, but her son does not answer her. To Be Continued Family Trivia *The name "August" is of Latin origin, and is derived from the diminutive form of the name "Augustus" that means "great" or "venerable". *The middle name "Wayne" is of Old English origin derived from an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker" as well as having roots in the Old English word "wagon". *The surname "Booth" is of Old English origin derived from the word "bothe" and itself derived from the Old Danish word "both" that means "cow-house" or "herdsman's hut" *Wayne Booth was a literary critic who coined the term "unreliable narrator". An "unreliable narrator" is a narrator, usually in fiction, whose credibility is severely compromised and therefore cannot be trusted on the validity of their story. *He has a wooden hand-carved donkey paper weight, a reference to the story of Pinocchio, in which all boys sent to Pleasure Island are turned into donkeys. *He carries a ultrasound image of his deceased son, Ben, as a reminder of a life he missed out on. *August claims to be very well-traveled; spending a years abroad visiting places as far as Nepal and Pamplona, Spain. *The complicated wooden lock he installed on Mary Margaret's door hints to skills he learned from his father. *The pages he added to Henry's book tell Pinocchio's story. According to Henry, this tale was not initially in the book. *He seems unaware Storybrooke is the "land without magic" until Mr. Gold pointed out his foolishness. Most artifacts and items that once retained magic in the Enchanted Forest do not have power in Storybrooke. Category:MugglebornPhoenix